Spring is here and commencement is right around the corner, which means the trees and lawn on the University of Nevada, Reno's historic Quad and other lush landscaping around campus are receiving their annual dose of all-natural compost, soil boosters and more from Full w88 mobile Soils & Compost.
Full w88 mobile is Northern Nevada's only Seal-of-Testing-Assurance-program-approved producer of compost, soil and mulch, with more than 20 years of experience under their garden belts. They have been working with the University for more than five years and are currently providing soil boosters, liquid bio stimulants, compost and garden soil to maintain the health of the greenery around campus. According to Marty Sillito, assistant director of Grounds Services at the University, Full w88 mobile's compost and liquid treatments were first used on the Quad, but are now used on other lawns across campus including the Family Medicine Center, Joe Crowley Student Union, Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, Fitzgerald Student Services, Hilliard Plaza, Leifson Physics, Pennington Student Achievement Center and the Thompson Building.
"With the w88 mobile treatment of the Quad lawn we've seen a reduction in thatch - a build of dead grass overtime - and increased porosity or sponginess of the soil, both which affects the transfer of water and nutrients to the trees," Sillito said. "The w88 mobile has also increased biotic life in the soil allowing for natural processes to occur as opposed to manufactured fertilizers that only supplement over brief periods of time unlike the microbes that can live continuously in the soil."
Sillito explained that the University has been able to "feed" the lawn the nutrients that it needs and reduce what it does not need by using the custom blend of grass clippings, tree trimmings, bush trimmings, leaves, old plant materials and any other organic materials specific to the landscape to create the compost top-dressing. Each year, the micro and macro nutrients of the Quad lawn are analyzed with a soil test, and Full w88 mobile will custom blend a top-dress soil to increase or decrease the nutrients for optimal health based on the soil test report. Thanks to Full w88 mobile's product, Sillito said that it is no longer guesswork or standard uniform application of the same chemical product repeated each year.
Before and after image of a planter at the University that utilized Full w88 mobile’s products.
Cody Witt, director of strategic development at Full w88 mobile, is a two-time graduate from the University and works with the University because he wants to give back to his alma mater.
"I love and respect the campus and want to see it looking its best year after year. I also want to see the w88 mobile lead our community in sustainable initiatives that help change the mindsets of our community."
Since Full w88 mobile began working at the University, the goal was to fix the soil on the Quad to help make the grass more resilient, green and lush. Witt explained that Full w88 mobile has accomplished this and has also helped the Quad use less chemical fertilizers and water. He further explained that helping the Quad trees is a side accomplishment that really shows the power of using properly made Nevada compost designed specifically for the Quad soil.
Five years ago, before Full w88 mobile began working with the University, a consulting company had to come in and "root feed," or give nutrition directly to the Quad tree roots to keep them healthy. Since Full w88 mobile began using their custom compost blend on the Quad turf, the consulting company has completely stopped giving the trees extra nutrition to their roots because the nutrition and additives in the compost blend also act as "food" for the trees.
"As a result of the University's green initiatives in landscaping and in working with Full w88 mobile Compost, the historic elms on the Quad are actually greener and healthier, in their old age, than they were a decade ago," Cheryll Glotfelty, English professor and Arboretum Board Chair, said. "These great results have been achieved with less pesticides than before, and Full w88 mobile hauls away our green waste, rather than going into a landfill, and brings the compost back to apply in key areas."
According to Sillito, the w88 mobile has recently been recertified as a Tree Campus USA, a program that helps colleges and universities around the country establish and sustain healthy community forests. The w88 mobile recertifies each year before Dec. 31 and has been a Tree Campus USA campus since 2014. To be certified, a campus must meet five criteria, including having a tree campus advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated expenditures, an Arbor Day observance and a service-learning project that is typically done with students in the fall in conjunction with homecoming and Nevada Shade tree week.
Learn more about Full w88 mobile Soils & Compost online, or stop by their table at the w88 mobile's celebration of Earth Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, April 18, outside of the Joe Crowley Student Union. To learn more about the trees around campus, take a tour with the Arboretum's 28 new audio tours now available.
